Rogers Votes to Block Rule to Redefine Waters of the U.S.

Washington, D.C. – January 14, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for passing S.J. Res. 22, a joint resolution that provides Congressional disapproval of a rule redefining “waters of the United States,” also known as WOTUS. The overreaching rule was published in June 2015 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under the Clean Water Act (CWA), expanding their regulatory power over private waterways.

The rule overrides state authorities and would require that any dirt-moving activity — from construction of roadways, to farming, to coal mining — require additional oversight and approval by federal bureaucrats. The resolution passed by the House would not only block the WOTUS rule, but also prohibit any new rules with similar intent.

“These agencies want to run roughshod over our hard working Americans on their own private land. Our farmers, contractors, and private land owners shouldn’t have to file a mountain of paperwork to dig a ditch on their own property due to occasional rain water,” said Rogers. “The economy in Kentucky’s Appalachian region has been drained by the impact of this Administration’s overburdensome regulations and this resolution aims to prevent more chaos.”

Already, objections to the WOTUS rule have flooded in from at least 32 states and local officials from cities and communities across te country.

The Supreme Court has twice affirmed the federal-state regulatory partnership, ruling that there are limits to federal jurisdiction under the CWA, and furthermore that the Agencies had breached these limits.

S.J. Res. 22 was passed in the Senate on November 4, 2015 and now heads to the President’s desk.

Last year, both chambers of Congress also passed legislation aimed at reversing the WOTUS rule. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Regulatory Integrity Protection Act of 2015 (H.R. 1732) and the U.S. Senate passed the Federal Water Quality Protect Act (S 1140).

Rogers has served Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District since 1981. With a focus on economic development, job creation, fighting illegal drugs and preserving Appalachia’s natural treasures, he has a reputation for listening to his constituents and fighting for the region he represents. For more information, visit http://halrogers.house.gov/ or follow Rogers on Twitter, Instagram or on Facebook.

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